“Once saved always saved. When you asked Jesus into your heart your eternity is settled forever. You just have to remember that,” said the Counselor to the doubting Christian. “But how do I know if I really asked Jesus into my heart?” replied the doubting Christian.

Ever wonder whether you were really saved? Ever wonder whether you sinned once too often and lost your salvation? For too long well meaning Counselors have taken their own doubting Christians to such passages as 1 John 5:11-13 where it says that if someone has the Son he/she has life, and whoever does not have the Son does not have life. Then follows the encouragement that since God cannot lie, the doubting Christian must be on his/her way to heaven. Yet, far too often such counsel fails to quiet the inward storm of insecurity, because such assurance is based on a weak premise.

A Christian’s assurance of salvation is never determined by whether or not he/she has sincerely asked Jesus into his/her heart. The real question is, “have they been born again?” Fortunately 1 John gives us several helpful ‘born again’ markers. For example 1:7 says, “if we walk in the light, as he is in the light we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin.” 2:1 says that we, “have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous one” who is the propitiation for our sins. 2:10 reminds us that, “whoever loves his brother abides in the light”, while 2:17 says the one who, “does the will of God abides forever.” 3:3 tells us that the true Christian, “purifies himself as he is pure”, 3:7 says, “whoever practices righteousness is righteous”, 4:7 says, “whoever loves has been born of God”, 4:13 says God has, “given us of his Spirit,” while 5:1 reminds us that, “whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ has been born of God, and everyone who loves the Father loves whoever has been born of him.”

God never bases doubting Christian’s assurance on an act he or she accomplished in the past. It is based on the veracity of God’s word lived out in the daily life of the individual whose every breath evidences that he/she is born again and as such believes in the name of the Son of God ; and because they have Christ they “have eternal life” (5:13).

Dana Arledge, Will Uminn, Kevin Farmer, Phil Meade